Join us in the field this autumn as we launch a new, community-powered beaver monitoring project in the Malheur National Forest!

Difficulty level: Moderate (walking on uneven terrain and in water, bending, field data entry)

Itinerary: Volunteers can sign up for one or multiple days. Carpooling from Bend will be available for multi-day participants, or you can meet us on-site in the Malheur National Forest.

Tasks: Volunteers will join trained staff to walk stream segments, identify and record beaver sign (lodges, dams, chews, slides), document habitat features using standardized protocols, help input data using a tablet. This monitoring effort was developed with the US Forest Service and Oregon Department of Forestry, and your contributions will directly inform statewide beaver and watershed management.

What you’ll need: A positive attitude, a strong work ethic, and a collaborative mindset. Plan to bring clothes and food to keep you comfortable throughout the day, as well as camping equipment if you aim to camp.

We’ll provide survey tools, training, and waders if needed!

About the Project: For over a century, beavers in Oregon were treated as pests, rarely studied or protected. However, beavers are now recognized as a wildlife species whose ecological role must be considered in management decisions. However, we still lack basic data on where beavers are, how they use their habitat, and how their populations are changing. This project aims to change that. We’ll be surveying over 100 stream reaches in Eastern Oregon; filling critical knowledge gaps while building public participation in wildlife conservation.

Why Join? This is a unique opportunity to: see active beaver habitat, learn how to identify subtle (and sometimes dramatic) signs of beaver activity, contribute to science-based conservation in real time and build friendships and stewardship skills on public lands.

RSVP to Reserve Your Spot! We’re aiming for 4 participants per day, so grab a friend, pick a date, and come experience the power of community science in action.

What a fantastic to monitor your beaver populations! No satellites or drones just boots on the ground, You’ve only got a week left to sign up. You know that guy you like in biology class? Ask him to join you and see if you can spend saturday together walking streams. He might look great in waders too.

You never know.